To the editor:

Last week, more than two dozen volunteers gave up a week of their summer to help with Camp Pioneer, a Girl Scout camp at Hidden Valley Camp in Lawrence.

Organized by Rebecca Gant and Cris Bandle, the camp offers girls a chance to learn outdoor skills right in the heart of Lawrence. More than 300 girls were treated to five days of fun activities, including fire building and cooking over a fire, folk dancing, learning about travel in the pioneer days (yes, they all had a chance to sit in a covered wagon and wash clothes by hand!), a scavenger hunt, a visit from the Lawrence fire department, knife safety and much more.

The girls came home with a T-shirt, mug, photo of their fellow campers, and a real pocket knife (along with a laminated card reminding them of rules for using the knife safely, of course).

Most astounding is that many of the adult volunteers gave up vacation time to spend the week at camp, and many of them also volunteer time during the school year as Girl Scout leaders. They embody what it means to be a Girl Scout; what great role models they are for the girls.

Though the chigger bites are finally fading, it will be a long time before the memories of this exciting week fade.

Jill Hardesty,

Lawrence